David de Gea set for laser eye surgery in the summer

 David De Gea may require laser eye surgery at the end of the season as he is long-sighted and wears contact lenses during games, according to The Guardian.

The Spaniard, who United signed for a fee of around £18 million in the summer, has worn glasses all of his life and was seemingly going to get the surgery done when he was still in Spain but the doctors there reportedly told him to wait because he needed a stable prescription.

The 21-year-old has been replaced by Anders Lindegaard in the previous three matches and has come under criticism for various mistakes made during a difficult start to his United career.

The newspaper reports he has had many a check-up with the on-site optometrist who is based at the training ground and the conclusion is to have the surgery in the summer when there is a chance for him to recuperate within the four days needed after such a procedure.

This should give him enough time to recover before playing for Spain in the London 2012 Olympics as he looks set to miss out on Euro 2012 as Vicente Del Bosque looks set, injury and form permitting, to select Real Madrid's Iker Casillas, Barcelona's Victor Valdes and Liverpool's Pepe Reina.

David de Gea admits he has made mistakes in 'physical' Premier League

 David de Gea has admitted he has made mistakes in his start to life in the Premier League but says he is working hard to adapt.

United’s summer acquisition has never played outside of Spain before, yet his start to his career abroad has not started as smoothly as he would have liked, with high-profile errors against West Brom and Manchester City leading to criticism.

More recently the Spaniard has been at fault for Blackburn’s winner at Old Trafford on Saturday, a result which ultimately cost United top spot in the Premier League.

The goal was an example of the physical nature of the English game, as De Gea was bundled to the ground by Grant Hanley, and the Spaniard has conceded there is a big difference from the style he is used to.

“I think it’s fair to say La Liga and Premier League are the two best leagues in the world and in that sense they’re very similar,” De Gea told Inside United.

“But it’s well known that the style of play here is rather more physical and as a goalkeeper you’ve got to be right on it, you’ve got to be attentive all through the match.

“The players coming at you can shoot from any angle and they can shoot from distance - you need to be aware that you might get a shot from distance at any time.

“Having said that, there’s also a lot of crosses from the sides, a lot of high balls and aerial play. So you’ve got to be able to get in there and block, interfere and stop shots being taken.

“I knew when I was coming to United that this was the style of play I was coming into, so I was pretty much ready and I was already confident when I came.

“I knew I’d need to train a lot, which I do. I concentrate a lot on blocking shots.”

Whilst De Gea concedes he has been at fault for some goals, he believes confidence in himself and his team-mates is the way to overcome them.

“Let’s face it, all goalkeepers make mistakes once in a while, and none of us like it when we do,” he added.

“But I knew at that time that I had to be confident in my team-mates.

“Errors happen but I’ve gone on to be more confident in myself.”

Ex-Man Utd keeper coach Coton: De Gea needs to lose his rag more

David de Gea has been urged to "lose his rag" more during games.

Former United keeper coach Tony Coton believes De Gea needs to get more aggressive if he wants to follow in the footsteps of United’s goalkeeping greats. Coton, who is now coaching in Dubai, says De Gea is too timid and needs to command his defenders more.

He said: “He needs to be more aggressive with his defenders in the same way Peter Schmeichel was. I’m told he does lose his rag in training but he needs to do it during games to let them know he’s in charge.”

David de Gea gives Sir Alex Ferguson the wrong kind of surprise birthday present

By Rob Stewart

If anything could sum up what has been a helter-skelter 2011 for Manchester United fans then it would have to be the shock 3-2 defeat by lowly Blackburn Rovers. In many ways it was the last year in microcosm when it came to matches at Old Trafford.

It was impossible to make sense of things right from the moment the official team-sheets were dispatched to the media room and it emerged Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs had been given the day off and Anderson would be on the bench while David de Gea would play instead of Anders Lindegaard.

From that point on it was clear that this would be an extraordinary day that was in keeping with much that had already been witnessed by regulars at the Theatre of Dreams lately and that feeling was underlined when Rafael Da Silva and Ji-Sung Park were stationed in central midfield while Michael Carrick and Phil Jones were assigned central defensive roles..

Even though it was a patched up United team due to injuries, the odds were stacked against Rovers but Sir Alex Ferguson’s strategy helped ensure that the year ended in a similar vein to much that had already been seen at the famous old stadium over the last 12 months as this game summed up everything insane about matches and key moments at Old Trafford in the year passed. 

The tone for what would turn into an incredible 2011 was set when Kenny Dalglish’s first game in charge on his return to Liverpool brought a second minute penalty and a sending off for Steven Gerrard in an FA Cup tie between the arch-rivals in early January.

A month later Rooney maintained the craziness with that fabulous overhead kick past a rooted-to-the-spot Joe Hart that defeated Manchester City and propelled United towards their record-breaking 19th domestic title

Then there was the Javier Hernandez 36-second goal against Chelsea in what was essentially the title-winning game.

There was no end to the madness the following season as United crushed Arsenal 8-2 and then beat Chelsea 3-1 in a game that saw the best and worst of fallen hero Fernando Torres as he scored and was then guilty of posting a contender for miss of the season. 

And then there was the 3-3 draw with Basel and the 6-1 defeat by the noisy neighbours at City in late October that ended a run of 19 straight home Premier League wins as 2011 turned into annus topsy-turvy.

The notion that this was a strange season was reinforced as Sir Alex’s players failed to rise to the occasion when he celebrated 25 years in charge of the club with a flat performance in a 1-0 win over hapless Sunderland.

And so those that headed to Salford for the end-of-year bash against Rovers should have known that it would have been unusual given everything else that had taken place in 2011 and thanks mainly to the 21-year-old De Gea that proved to be the case 

As birthday presents go, the one the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper presented to Sir Alex on his 70th birthday when he flapped at Morten Gamst Pedersen’s corner and allowed Grant Hanley to nod in Rovers’ winner could not have been much worse.

When a ponderous De Gea was caught out, he ruined all the good work by English football’s comeback kings after Dimitar Berbatov had cancelled out Yakubu’s brace and United were heading back to the top of the Premier League.

In keeping with the madcap year, there was still time for another bizarre twist as Phil Jones’ goal-bound effort was blocked by a team-mate, named Keane – William not Roy.

In the end, the birthday celebrations fell flat as the flapping, flailing De Gea’s vulnerability at set-pieces was ruthlessly exploited by Steve Kean’s team and it might make Sir Alex think twice about selecting the Spaniard before Lindegaard when United face Newcastle on Wednesday on Tyneside.

Toon boss Alan Pardew is certain to target the Under-21 international at corners and free-kicks and with that in mind De Gea would probably be better off on the bench or on the training ground as Sir Alex tries to get his team back to winning ways. There is no question that the young keeper is struggling to come to terms with the physical demands of the Premier League and the emphasis on crossing and set-pieces.

No one is saying the 21-year-old will not come good because Sir Alex is adept at honing young talent but he might benefit from being taken out of the firing line for now.

In total he has conceded 26 goals in 19 appearances for United and kept just six clean sheets.

On the other hand, the 27-year-old Lindegaard looks a safer pair of hands and has six clean sheets to his name and has been beaten just once in seven games.

The statistics do not make pleasant reading for De Gea but maybe the fact that United paid £19 million for his services compared to a reported £3.5 million paid to Danish side Aalesunds for Lindegaard a year ago is keeping him in the team.

It is no wonder Sir Alex is finding it tough to choose between them and that is not necessarily a good thing. 

The Scot is said to be torn between the two keepers when it comes to the fight for the starting slot but being caught in two minds will help United’s defence of their Premier League title about as much as it helped De Gea against Rovers.

United’s title successes in the past have been built on having a regular goalkeeper as a last line of defence in the shape of Peter Schmeichel, Fabien Barthez and then Edwin van der Sar but wavering between his goalkeepers could prove very costly.

Sir Alex Ferguson happy to continue rotating goalkeepers De Gea and Lindegaard

 Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he has no selection headache when it comes to his goalkeepers.

The Scot has alternated between summer signing David de Gea and Danish international Anders Lindegaard throughout the season, with the latter being picked for Wednesday's 5-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

De Gea, who joined from Atletico Madrid, has also started to turn in some impressive performances despite a shaky start to life in the Premier League.

The Spaniard has six clean sheets and Lindegaard five, with the latter only conceding once in his six matches this season - during the 1-1 draw against Benfica.

And the experienced Scot is happy to give both shot stoppers a chance given their current run of good form.

Speaking to MUTV, Ferguson said: "It’s not a problem because I think Anders has that little bit more experience. I felt his was the right time to change and we’re going to do that with David.

"He’s only 20 years of age and is going to be a fantastic goalkeeper, there’s absolutely no doubt about that.

"Having Anders as a back-up in terms of giving the lad a break at the right time, is proving its worth. Anders is an outstanding goalkeeper and has a little bit more experience."

Ferdinand: Too soon to compare De Gea with Van der Sar

 Rio Ferdinand says it would be unfair to compare David De Gea with past great goalkeepers.

His two wonder stops at Liverpool were important saves that his illustrious predecessor, Edwin van der Sar, would have been proud of.

“He had big shoes to fill,’’ said Ferdinand, “and I wouldn’t even begin to start speaking in terms of comparing him. He will tell you himself he has loads of things to learn and loads of things still to do in the game before we can start comparing him to anyone. But I am sure he is willing to learn. He is showing why the club spent so much on him and went out big to get him.’’

Evans: De Gea best shot-stopper for his age

 Jonny Evans praised David De Gea after his performance at Liverpool.

The Spanish goalkeeper was impressive in the 1-1 draw.

"He is probably one of the best shot-stoppers I have seen at such a young age,’’ said Evans.

“His kicking is excellent. He is very slight but he has an unbelievable spring on him. He gets down low to shots.

He is very quick on his feet.”

Ferguson full of praise for De Gea after Liverpool performance

 Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with David De Gea's performance at Liverpool.

De Gea produced a couple of brilliant saves near the end to deny Dirk Kuyt and Jordan Henderson and crown his best all-round display in a United shirt.

"De Gea is a fantastic goalkeeper," said Ferguson.

"He is so confident and composed for a 20-year-old."

Friedel slams critics for caning Man Utd youngster De Gea

Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel has blasted critics of Manchester United's David de Gea.

Friedel admits to being appalled at the way David De Gea, Manchester United’s new £18 million goalkeeper has been vilified.

“The first game, the first two goals in the Community Shield [against Manchester City] and everyone is trying to blame him,” he told the Telegraph.

 “The goal with the cross — if it was any other goalkeeper that goalkeeper would not have got mentioned. I’ve no idea why people want to jump on him. It’s something he has to deal with — and he couldn’t be at a better club for that — but the English goalkeepers get absolutely caned over here and I’ve no idea why.”

Pallister's advice to De Gea: You'll be incredible if you bulk up

Former Manchester United defender Gary Pallister has called upon David de Gea to bulk up for the physical challenges of the Premier League, while backing the young keeper to become a success at Old Trafford. 

De Gea, signed from Atletico Madrid for £20million in the summer, has made a nervous start to his career with the champions, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson taking him out of the firing line for the mid-week Champions League draw at Benfica.

His replacement, Anders Lindegaard, impressed in his place in Lisbon - the Dane sending out a clear warning to his Spanish colleague that he intends to fight for the No 1 jersey. 

But Pallister, who won four Premier League titles with United in the 1990s, has little doubt De Gea will establish himself. 

The former England international claimed that legendary United stopper Peter Schmeichel suffered similar difficulties after arriving from Brondby in 1991. 

Pallister said: 'There are similarities. Peter came over with a terrific reputation and found it difficult in his first few games in this league because it's a lot more physical.

'Where he was playing in Denmark or where De Gea was playing in the Spanish league, you're now going to get people standing on your toes at corners or barging you on the goal line to get the ball in the back of the net.

'It's something he will have to come to terms with but it's happened to the very best, so who's to say he won't deal with it? I think he will.

'He looks a very slight lad, he may have to bulk up a little bit. But I think there is belief in the club he will stand in good stead and I think he believes in himself. I think he will be a success.'

Pallister feels the 20-year-old stopper needs to be given time to build his confidence and develop an understanding with the defenders in front of him. 

He added: 'The centre-halves and the goalkeeper have to develop a relationship as well. You have to understand whether the goalkeeper is going to deal with balls coming into your box or whether he will let you deal with it. That will come with time as well. 

'The defence can help by talking to him. Certainly the way he saved that penalty against Arsenal, the way they celebrated telling him they were right behind him, shows they trust him and want him to do well. And I think by giving something back to the Old Trafford crowd, that is very important for his settling-in period.'

Pallister is also full of praise for Phil Jones, claiming the defender could go on to establish himself as an England regular. 

The £16.5million summer arrival from Blackburn has impressed at the start of his United career and Pallister thinks the 19-year-old has what it takes to rise to the top.

He said: 'It's easy to get carried away with his start at Manchester United. But you have to look at the maturity he's got and the type of character he is. 

'He dictates to other people on the pitch, which is very rare for a young lad, and it shows he has a lot of confidence and belief in himself. He has been right out the top drawer.

'You never know the pitfalls ahead, but on talent alone he has a big England future. 

'He has been absolutely outstanding. I didn't expect him to play too many games so early in his career there, but injuries to Rio [Ferdinand] and Nemanja [Vidic] have seen him come in and look an outstanding prospect.

'He plays with great maturity and doesn't appear to have any kind of weakness in his game. 

'He looks a real big star of the future. For a player to come in at that age and be as settled as he is says a lot about the kid's temperament.'

De Gea: I will win doubters around

David de Gea says he'll win over the club's skeptical fans.

De Gea accepts the start to his United career has been shaky.

“The criticism felt normal,” De Gea said. “When things go wrong, even a couple of errors, the press has the right to criticise. When you are in goal, you remain in the spotlight forever.

“What happened is normal – it happens. Now it is in my power to change those negative reviews. I improve in every training session and every game.

“Above all, I will keep my confidence in my abilities and what I can bring to the team as a goalkeeper. I am surrounded by good people and that means we can do important things this year. We must have faith.

“I will continue growing as a goalkeeper, and having confidence is key. We want to defend the title like champions and that concerns us week after week.

“Then there is the FA Cup and the Carling Cup and of course the Champions League. We must aspire to win everything – we will try to win many titles.”

Schmeichel: De Gea errors not massive

Peter Schmeichel insists David De Gea will overcome is shaky start to his Old Trafford career.

The summer signing looked more solid against Tottenham in United's 3-0 win on Monday and Danish great Schmeichel believes there is much more to come from him, given time.

"He's very unfairly, in my opinion, been criticised, even before he played his first game," Schmeichel told Five Live Sport.

"I wouldn't say he's made massive mistakes."

Schmeichel added: "I thought he showed tremendous character in the game against Tottenham the other day. He wasn't fazed by being at Old Trafford.

"Everything he did was good - his catching, distribution was spot on. I think he has learned something.

"He's only young and it takes a little bit of time to adjust to the kind of football we play in the Premier League, the kind of players you play against and the kind of referees we have, who allow a lot more physical contact.

"He needs to learn and I think he has a great future ahead of him."

Reina hints at Man Utd offer: De Gea can call me

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina says he's on the end of the phone if Manchester United's David De Gea needs advice.

De Gea has struggled in the first weeks of his United career.

Asked if he would cross the divide to help his rival, Reina said: "I don't know him personally – we have played against each other a few times but I don't have a problem with whatever he needs. I imagine that he can get my telephone number from any friend that we have in common."

Asked if he was contacted by United as they searched for Edwin Van der Sar's replacement, his somewhat evasive answer suggested there was a moment at the end of last year when a move to Old Trafford became a possibility.

He said: "That doesn't matter now. I imagine they had a group of keepers that they were looking at and in the end the one they ended up pushing for was De Gea and I think that they have not got it wrong, far from it, he is going to give great service."

Charlton has total confidence in De Gea

Sir Bobby Charlton insists there are no doubts within the club over David De Gea.

The 20-year-old has a tough task to fill the void left by the retired Edwin van der Sar but Charlton is convinced he will come good.

Charlton said: "He is a great goalkeeper and we knew about that when he was coming.

"But you have got to remember he has arrived in a strange city, a strange country where they don't speak the same language and they are more passionate about football than anybody, even in Spain.

"But Alex will work his magic and the staff will work their magic, and he will be one of the great players by the end of the season, definitely."

Sir Alex Ferguson: David de Gea should have done better against West Brom

New Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea was given a harsh welcome to the Premier League against West Brom, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitting the Spanish Under-21 star "should have done better".

The 20-year-old let a straight forward Shane Long shot squirm under his body on his league debut at the Hawthorns and, after condeing twice to Manchester City in last week's Charity Shield, Ferguson believes his No.1 still has a long way to go.

Ferguson told Sky Sports: "David should have done better. I think he’s lost a bit of concentration there, but welcome to English football because he took a battering in the second-half.

“He should have been protected more by the referee – he wasn’t – and on this occasion he has to withstand it. It’s a good experience for him.

“My recollection of goalkeepers coming from Europe is there’s a learning process, it’s a different game.

“Peter Schmeichel was the same when he came, Wimbledon in his first away game on a Wednesday night and they gave him a torrid time.

“But Peter came on to become the greatest goalkeeper of all time possibly. The boy is 20 years of age, you suspect a learning process to be in operation at the moment and he’ll see it through.”

When asked how he will help De Gea get over his errors, Ferguson added: "Just pat him on the head.”

United took the lead through Wayne Rooney before Long's equalier, but won it late on through an Steven Reid own goal.

It was an Ashley Young run down the left which resulted in the Reid own goal and Ferguson was full of praise for his £18 million summer signing from Aston Villa.

“Yes, he’s got good composure on the ball, not just crossing but his interplay with the rest of the players," Ferguson added.

"He made a goal for Wayne [Rooney] from a good pass and he was a threat all the time.

“He had a few crosses blocked, but when he decided to go the opposite way and go towards the by-line he was an instant threat.

"The first 25 minutes I thought we were superb, moving the ball was great, the interplay, the speed of play was great.

“Then for some reason we started to slow the build-up to a level where we lost the momentum, then we lost a goal."

Ferguson reserved special praise for goalscorer Rooney, who notced his first goal of the season.

“He’s looking great, he was fantastic today, he was all over the place,” he said.

Schmeichel: Man Utd in good hands with De Gea and Lindegaard

Peter Schmeichel feels they're in good hands with their two new goalkeepers.

David De Gea is expected to start ahead of Anders Lindegaard as United's No1.

“I know Anders Lindegaard from watching him for Denmark and he’s played really well,” Schmeichel told the Manchester Evening News. “But this is Old Trafford. It is different playing for a Norwegian club, or even Denmark, than playing for United.

“The same goes for David de Gea – even if he has played for a club with a lot of pressure like Atletico Madrid.

“I watched him for them and he played very well. And every time I’ve seen him I’ve been very impressed.

“I was also very impressed with his performances in Denmark for Spain in the Under-21 European Championships this summer. But again – this is Old Trafford.”

Schmeichel believes that United have solved their goalkeeping situation for years to come.

“It’s interesting,” said the Great Dane. “We now have two goalkeepers – one who is very young and another who is relatively young.

“Whoever gets the shirt can stay on for a very long time.

“It is important that whoever starts the season – they need to have a good beginning.

“Whoever it is has to do that, but both of them have the talent to stay on for a long time,” Schmeichel added.

Schmeichel slams De Gea critics

Peter Schmeichel has hit out at critics of new goalkeeper David De Gea.

Schmeichel, who capped a brilliant Old Trafford career by captaining the giants to Treble glory in the Camp Nou back in 1999, says he's been asked by Sir Alex Ferguson not to comment on Spanish youngster De Gea.

But he told the Daily Mirror: "I think it is absolutely ridiculous listening to people criticising him after one game.

"Everyone in this country always gets a chance so what is the point of doing that now."

Whether De Gea endures growing pains this season or not, Schmeichel is confident his new team will enjoy success again this term.

"People tend to forget that United are the champions, they have spent a lot of money this summer as well as other clubs.

"Big players have retired and have to be replaced but there has always been so much youth and talent in that United squad."

Blundering De Gea adamant he's suited to English football despite debut gaffes

David De Gea insists he is having no problems adapting to the frenzied nature of English football.

The Spaniard conceded two questionable goals on his competitive debut in his side's Community Shield win over Manchester City.

De Gea failed to react quickly enough to Edin Dzeko's 30-yard strike and was arguably at fault for not coming to collect the cross that led to City's opener in this afternoon's clash at Wembley.

The Spaniard's blushes were saved by a second-half rally which saw the Red Devils run out 3-2 winners, but Sir Alex Ferguson's £18million gamble will be questioned if such errors are repeated throughout the season.

When asked whether he was experiencing problems getting to grips with the English game, the 20-year-old said: 'No, football is football here and in any country. I have to adapt quickly and improve on the whole of my game.'

De Gea, who signed a five-year contract at Old Trafford following his move from Atletico Madrid in June, brushed off the importance of conceding two first-half goals.

He said: 'The two goals we conceded in the first half stopped us in our tracks but in the second half we were able to claw back and I think that's the important thing. I'm very happy about the victory.'

Ryan Giggs impressed by David de Gea's debut

After 20 years of playing for Manchester United, Ryan Giggs knows a top-class goalkeeper when he sees one.

And having seen new goalkeeper David de Gea make a string of fine saves on his debut in a pre-season friendly against Chicago Fire, the 37-year-old is excited about the Spaniard's ability.

"Yeah, I thought he had a good performance," said Giggs to Goal.com. "His distribution was very good and he's confident."

De Gea conceded early on but did not allow that to affect his confidence and responded with several acrobatic saves. In the second half, Chicago's inability to get past the keeper allowed United to execute several counterattacks that saw them score three times in 30 minutes.

De Gea acknowledges that it has been a major transition coming from Atletico Madrid to Manchester United, and hopes that he will get more friendlies under his belt to become familiar with his team-mates.

"I'm still new to the team and league and it's an entirely different system than the one in Spain," De Gea explained to Goal.com. "It was my first game and it's important I get a few more before the season starts."

De Gea’s transition might not happen overnight but his manager Sir Alex Ferguson was also impressed with the 20-year-old’s performance.

"He's technically very good," Ferguson said. "He saved us on many different occasions."

Man Utd keeper coach Steele: What we intend to do with De Gea

Manchester United want new goalkeeper David De Gea to bulk up.

United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele has ­revealed the 20-year-old will have to learn the language and put on some muscle if he’s to go on to great things.

Steele told the Daily Star: “He can fit into the team because he’s got this calmness.

“We’re going to give him every chance.”

But he added: “Did you see Edwin van der Sar when he was 19? There’s work to be done there (on his build) but no player is completely finished at 20.

“Edwin didn’t come to England until he was 24.

“He (De Gea) is also ­learning the language now. He’s learning the football language which is important, he’s got that now.

“He’s been pushing on with English lessons as soon as we got him.

“I’ve learned a little bit of Spanish myself, which has helped, but he’s coming to Manchester United and his job is to learn English.”